218 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



tire specimen from head to tail, pass one end of it down 

 through the centre of the body, bend the wire down at a right 

 angle, and in the same manner pass the other end down 

 through the middle abdominal segment. The ends are to pass 

 through the pedestal and be clinched below. 



7. The claws need not be stuffed. 



8. When all the various members have been wired, bend all 

 the inner ends of the wires down in the body, and pour in a lot 

 of plaster Paris, which, as soon as it hardens will hold all the 

 wires in place. 



9. Stuff the cavity of the abdominal segments with tow, put 

 what filling is necessary into the thorax, then put the shell 

 back in its place and glue it fast all around the edges. 



10. Replace the movable claws, and with glue and cotton 

 fasten them firmly where they belong. 



11. Put a wire around the end of each claw to hold it down, 

 or, what is better still, wire it down from the under side in such 

 a way that the wire will not be visible. 



12. When the specimen is dry and its colors have partly 

 faded out, procure a fresh specimen of the same species, and 

 with your oil colors paint the shell carefully and artistically 

 from your model. Leam to blend the colors together as nature 

 does in such objects, softening all the lines. When the paint 

 is dry, if the specimen has a dead, opaque appearance, give its 

 surface both lustre and transparency by applying a thin coat of 

 white varnish and turpentine. 



